Life changing Past Review
By Hannah (Benedictine College) - abroad from 02/22/2014 to 04/21/2014 with
Benedictine College: Florence - Semester Program in Florence, Italy
I learned so much about culture from each country I was able to visit. From Morocco to Poland, each country had something new to offer. My confidence grew, my ability to navigate around each location grew, and I morphed into a new person! 1000000000 percent worthwhile.
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 0-2 weeks |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
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| * Food: |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
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| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
Studying abroad changed my life in numerous ways. I would say in the most astronomical way was my choice in career post graduation. Because of my experiences abroad and my love for travel, I made the career change and became a Flight Attendant with a Major US Airline just so I can continue my Wanderlust. |
Finances
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* Money: How easily were you able to live on a student's budget?
(1 = not very easy/$200+ on food & personal expenses/week, 2.5 = $100/week, 5 = very easily/minimal cost) |
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| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | Depending on the country I was visiting, $100-200 |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Save save save before going to Europe. It have extra money put away for your own personal adventures as well as for emergencies is VERY important. I would recommend saving $2,000. |
Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | Yes |
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How much did the program encourage you to use the language?
0 = No encouragement, 5 = frequent encouragement to use the language |
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| How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? | None |
| How would you rate your language skills at the end of the program? | Beginner |
| What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? | Beginner |
| How many hours per day did you use the language? |
Other Program Information
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* Where did you live?
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* Who did you live with?
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* Who did you take classes with?
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| About how many local friends did you make that you will likely keep in touch with? | 10+ |
A Look Back
| * What did you like most about the program? |
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| * What could be improved? |
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| * What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? | The necessity of less is more!!! I brought way too many clothes and ended up tossing half of it out. Now as a flight attendant, I've learned to pack for weeks at a time in one carry on bag. I wish I would've had a direct list of yes and no's to bring! |
